Japanese Now!
by Oceans in Hand
Summary: A fanfiction for my Japanese textbook. Boy, never thought I'd say anything like that. Author's note inside, will contain slash and underage drinking.
1. Author's Note

Listen up, this story is going to take some explaining!

I am a third year Japanese student who has forgotten an amazing amount of material :) This story is a fun way for me to go over all of the lessons from the first textbook. All of the dialogue, unless I say otherwise, is taken directly from the short skits in the textbook. I will provide translations at the end of each chapter.

Please bear in mind that I'm still a student, and not a very good one either. I apologize if my faulty translations offend anyone. I am writing this story to help me remember things I probably should never have forgotten, for fun, and to practice typing in Japanese.

My classmates have kept a running joke that the main two characters from the skits, Tom Akau and Jiro Tanaka, were having a secret homosexual relationship, and this is something I've always wanted to do- flesh out the story given in the skits. Tom and Jiro will always have a super special place in my heart :D

I hope you enjoy this strange little story if you choose to read it :) The textbook the skits are coming from is called Japanese Now Volume 1, copyright 1982 by the Dept. of Education, State of Hawaii. If you have any questions, feel free to message/e-mail me for answers.

- Oceans


	2. Jiro Meets Tom

**Lesson 1: Jiro meets Tom**

Tom is waiting at the airport for his home-stay family to arrive, clinging to the photograph he is to use to identify them. The Tanakas look like a nice family—Mrs. and Mr. Tanaka seem happily married in the picture, their oldest son standing high over their shoulders beside the oldest sister, their middle son and youngest daughter squabbling at the time the photograph was taken. He glances down to the glossy piece in his hand again, ignoring the marks his sweaty fingers have left, before sending another anxious look around the terminal.

Worry is gnawing at his stomach just as he looks up, and sees the younger son—he's pretty sure that's who it is—standing on the other side of a few rows of chairs, squinting at him. The teenager blinks owlishly when their eyes meet.

He maneuvers around the rows, and, tips respectfully at the waist once he's a few feet from Tom. He speaks.

"たなかじろです。よろしく。"

Tom is frozen for a beat at the spill of Japanese that comes from the teenager's lips, before he remembers—duh —and prodes his brain into action. Damnit, he should have taken his mother up on those reviews.

Licking his lips, he mirrors the other's bow and says,"トムアカウです。よろしく。"

Jiro grins widely at his stuttered introduction, not unkindly. He replies, "アカウさん、家へ どこですか？"

"ホナルルです。たなかさんは？"

Jiro gives him another, small smile that Tom takes to be a plea for permission as his reaches a hand for the handle of his carry-on. "とうきょです。" He answers.

Tom follows him to the baggage claim, and is happy to notice that much of his anxiety is left behind.

_Translations_  
(1) I am Jiro Tanaka. How do you do?  
(2) I am Tom Akau. How do you do?  
(3) Mr. Akau, where is youy home?  
(4) Honolulu. And yours, Mr. Tanaka?  
(5) Tokyo.

**A/N: **Did so _major_, and much-needed reworking. (6/10)


	3. Deciding to Go to the Beach

**Lesson 2: Deciding to Go to the Beach **

Tom is settling in. Jiro's parents are out often, as well as his little sister. The oldest sibling is away at college.

Sitting awkwardly on a low couch that tips if he leans too far forward, he twiddles his thumbs. Jiro sits a few inches to his side, tapping his foot. The house is empty.

The television is off.

It is very, very quiet.

And then Jiro turns to him with a considering expression, and Tom could just about kiss him when he breaks the silence with a question."アカウさん、きょう　ひまですか？"(1)

It takes him a moment to respond. _Do I have free time? Shouldn't you know the answer to that better than me? _But all the same, he replies, "ええ、ひまです。"(2)

Jiro beams. "じゃあ、うみへ　行きませんか？"(3)

"…いいですね。行きましょう。"(4)

_Translations  
_(1) Mr. Akau, are you free today?  
(2) Yes, I am free.  
(3) Well, why don't we go to the beach?  
(4) That sounds good. Let's go.

**A/N: **They get chattier as you get further into the book =/


	4. Deciding to Go to McDonald’s

**Lesson 3: Deciding to Go to McDonald's**

Tom looks dully out the window of the moving bus. Er, squints. It's difficult to see—the glass is fogged over from the inside, and outside the world is grey and wet. Precisely six minutes after he and Jiro decided to spend the afternoon at the beach, it had begun to rain. Heavily.

Tom frowns, wrinkling his nose as he turns to Jiro in the seat at his side. Jiro seems to feel it- he looks back, raising a brow.

Tom mirrors the motion, eyes flickering to the window.

Jiro winces and, after a moment of moving his hands—restlessly, not knowing what to do with them—he says, tentatively, "おひるは?" (1)

Tom scowls. _Of course not _he thinks, but still he says,"まだです." (2)

"じゃあ マクドナルドで たべませんか?" (3)

Swallowing his wish to sigh, deeply, Tom glances once more out the window. The rain has gotten harder.

He turns back to Jiro.

"いいですね. たべましょう." (4)

_Translations  
_(1) Have you eaten lunch?  
(2) Not yet.  
(3) Well, won't you eat at McDonald's?  
(4) That sounds good. Let's go eat.


	5. Deciding What to Have for Lunch

**Lesson 4: Deciding What to Have for Lunch**

Jiro's shoulders are speckled where raindrops have soaked into his jacket, and he feels beads of water running through his hair; the chill against his scalp makes him shiver. He and Tom have taken a booth against the window facing the street, and the other teenager is people-watching.

Jiro frowns. What is it with this guy and windows?

He clears his throat politely for Tom's attention, flinching when dark eyes abruptly round on him.

Drawing moisture to wet his suddenly dry tongue, he asks, "なにお たべますか?"

Tom sucks his bottom lip into his mouth as he thinks.

"ビッグ・マックと ポテト・フライを おねがいします." He answers, slowly, as if he's still thinking as he speaks.

Jiro nods. "のみものは?"

"コーラ." Tom smiles, and Jiro goes dumb for a moment. He returns the happy gesture.

"じゃあ, ここに いてください. ぼくが かいますから."

He's crossing the restaurant, heading for the counter, before he realizes that he doesn't know what he wants yet.

_Translations  
_(1) What do you want to eat?  
(2) I'll have a Big Mac and french fries*, please. (*literally, potato fry)  
(3) To drink?  
(4) Cola.  
(5) Well, please stay here. I'll go buy it.

**A/N: God, this is so much fun xD**


	6. Jiro and Tom Decide to Go to the Movies

**Lesson 5: Jiro and Tom Decide to Go to the Movies**

The rain doesn't let up, and Tom agrees when Jiro suggests they return home for the day. Instead of the going to the beach or anything else, they help Jiro's mother with chores and watch her cook dinner. Tom's grasp of the language is still not as strong as he'd like it to be, and Jiro helps him to improve. They sit on the sidewalk and take turns pointing to various objects and calling out their names, which earns them more and a few strange looks, but it's productive.

Later that night, after the dishes from dinner have been banished to the sink, Mr. Tanaka is reading the paper, and Mrs. Tanaka is laughing with Kimiko as she plays with her daughter's hair. Tom peeks back and forth between them, the television, and his largely neglected book, until Jiro plops down onto the floor beside him and says, "これから いそがしいですか?"

Tom blinks at his page before dog-earring the corner. "いいえ, べつに..."

"じゃあ, えいがに いきませんか?"

A movie? Tom casts another glance around the quiet family room.

Yes, please. He's bored out of his mind.

"いいですね!"

He winces. That came out…entirely too…much…

Thankfully, Jiro doesn't seem to notice. He only smiles.

He tells him that the theatre is only a few minutes' walk away, so, with a word to Jiro's father and trip to his bedroom for money, they begin the way on foot. The air outside is muggy from the rain and heat of Japanese summers, but the sidewalks are well-lit and the walk is…nice. Jiro is a bit of goof, and Tom laughs a few times.

The theatre has come into sight when Jiro stops and suddenly looks bashful. Tom gives him a curious look.

"ああ...なにを みましょうか?"

Tom only stares at him for a long enough moment that Jiro begins to fidget uncomfortably, before he busts out laughing.

"s-そうですねえ..." He eventually manages to say, still snickering. People from outside the theatre are glancing at them curiously.

Tom can see that Jiro's cheeks are flaming even in this light, and he almost starts laughing again when the other teenager tugs weakly at his bangs. That should not be…adorable_._

Twitching restlessly, Jiro makes an aborted gesture towards the row of posters along the theatre. "ちゃんばらが いいですか, せいぶげきが いいですか?"

"ちゃんばらが しましょう." Tom forces himself to consider the posters.

Jiro smiles gratefully and leads the way across the street. Tom waits for him by the entrance to buy tickets, and nudges his shoulder companionably as they pass through the doors. Jiro's blush is still lingering in his cheeks, and part of his hair is sticking up, but he conveys a silent agreement. Truce.

_Translations_  
(1) Are you busy from now? (Waiting on my friend to recommend a better translation, grr.)  
(2) No, not really.  
(3) Well then, won't you go to a movie with me?  
(4) That sounds good.  
(5) Aah, what should we see? (I added the 'aah')  
(6) Let's see…  
(7) Would you like to see a sword-fighting samurai movie or a western?  
(8) Let's decide on a samurai movie.

**A/N:** I have *no* clue how to stutter in written Japanese. So, s-そうです.


	7. Jiro Prefers to Study for a Test

**Lesson 6: Jiro Prefers to Study for a Test**

After a day spent shopping with Mrs. Tanaka, Jiro away at school, Tom lets himself into Jiro's bedroom. The other teenager is sprawled on his back on his bed, tapping his foot to some unheard beat and making faces at the book he holds before his eyes.

He takes a moment to appreciate the sight—Jiro studying is a rare thing, despite the constant reminders—before rapping his knuckles lightly against the open door.

Jiro moves the book a scan inch to peer curiously at him from beneath it.

Tom holds up a CD by way of explanation.

"あたらしい レコ-ドを かいました. ききますか?"

Jiro drops the textbook to his stomach and pushes himself up onto his elbows. Shaking his head, he says, "いまは だめです." His tone is vaguely apologetic.

Tom drops his hand and frowns, fuming. "どうして?"

"かがくの しけんが あります." He drums his fingers pointedly on the hard-cover of his textbook.

He dimly remembers something about a test, but…Wait a minute. "しけんは あさってでしょう?"

Jiro flushes, his face clearly reflecting '_busted!_'. "ええ, でも..."

Tom narrows his eyes, and allows a vein of cool to intersect his voice when he says, "じゃあ, がんばって."

He closes the door behind him, but not before seeing the flash of disquiet bloom in Jiro's face. Dwelling on that helps the miserable twisting in his stomach.

_Translations_  
(1) I bought a new CD. Will you listen to it?  
(2) I don't have any freetime.  
(3) Why not?  
(4) I have a science test. (I changed it from an English test to a science test...because Tom could have just helped him study if it were an English test...)  
(5) Isn't the test the day after tomorrow?  
(6) Yeah, but…  
(7) Well, do your best.

**A/N:** Annnd we have the first lovers' quarrel. Also, I should mention that Tom is totally the girl in my mind. I don't know why...he's just always struck me as the cattier one...:)


End file.
